The title card reads: an amateur movie reel in kodachrome. Footage includes: S. Hurok Ballet Theater : "La fille mal gardée" (excerpts); Folk Dance Demonstrations by Ukrainians; Chinese Stage Dragon Dance for Red Cross; Eaton's Santa Claus Parade (no date); A Bit of the Toronto Skating Carnival; and An Abrupt Change to Ballet on a Stage in Toronto. Library and Archives Canada
"Adventure on the Colorado, by Al Morton, comprises 1,600 feet of film and (at twenty four frames a second) forty eight minutes of screen time. In it, six men in two boats travel down the Colorado River from Moab, in southeastern Utah, to Lee's Ferry, in northern Arizona. Taking fifteen days, the trip covered some 300 miles, forty of which were through cataracts already claiming twenty nine lives. These are the bare and simple facts of the case. But these facts cannot begin to tell the story of Mr. Mortons epic adventure. And mind you, we are not concerned here with the breath taking dangers of the trip itself — although these alone were awesome and challenging. We are concerned only with Mr. Morton's filming adventures and the bright, indomitable story of them as recorded so stirringly in his film. That story is one of inflexible resolve against all compromise, even in the face of well nigh impossible circumstance. At one point in the picture, Mr. Morton shows us a rugged and precipitous approach to the river known as "Hole in the Rock." It was through this narrow passage that, years ago, a little band of Mormons, sent to colonize the San Juan country, brought their wagons and their belongings. In laces where the chasm had narrowed so sharply as to block the cavalcade, they dismantled the wagons and packed them through on their backs. For they had set out to cross the river — and cross it they did. Mr. Morton's filming resolve must have been of that same high order — almost religious in its intensity. As the down-river journey grew ever more arduous, you waited with sympathetic understanding for those not quite perfect scenes which the incredible conditions must surely dictate. You were ready to make allowances, to accept the imperfect as relative perfection --under the circumstances. Not so with Mr. Morion. There was no compromise with quality in the Morton picture plan. He set out to film the river, and film it he did. Adventure on, the Colorado is a moving and splendid epic, recording both a gallant adventure and a glowing achievement." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 513.
"With the help of almost unbelievable luck from the weather man, Helen C. Welsh has achieved a high level of what is essentially newsreel filming. Her subject matter is in itself appealing — displays of tulips in a public park, children wearing amazing holiday headgear, dancers performing Old World figures, all climaxed by the pageantry of the coronation of a new king and queen of the festival. But Miss Welsh handles it expertly. Her viewpoints are varied and her camera work accomplished, while a wisely sparse and well recorded narrative ties the whole presentation into an attractive package. Albany's Tulip Festival is colorful, entertaining and fulsome as a record of a city's spring holiday." Movie Makers, Dec. 1950, 464.
"Devotees of the hilarious poem about the Lancashire couple and their son Albert would not fail to delight in Albert and the Lion, filmed by A. Scott Moorhouse. It portrays the misadventures of young Albert and his parents on their holiday at Blackpool, an English seaside resort. The story of how the objectionable young Albert, who carried a stick with a " 'orse's 'ead 'andle,'' was eaten by the lion is told in a highly satisfying manner. The scenes of the outlandishly costumed trio and their tribulations are timed to accompany a recitation of the poem. The characters are perfectly chosen and also outfitted to perfection. Although filmed at a Toronto zoo, the movie might well have been taken at the famous English resort of the poem. Mr. Moorhouse's handling of the players was masterly, and he made the best of his filming opportunities." Movie Makers, Dec. 1940, 601.
"America, among the three films given special mention, is an ambitious scenic epic being compiled by William H. Barlow. The plan is to cover all of the prominent beauty spots of this country, building the sequences of them into a monumental film document. Yet each reel is so planned and titled that it can be separately screened. The reels that have already been completed present a combination of beautiful photography, intelligent planning and editing and skillful titling that has not been surpassed in similar professional work." Movie Makers, Dec. 1930, 788.
"The present fate and possible future of the southern share-cropping farmer have been pictured in dramatic and authentic detail by Alan S. Hacker, ACL, in a five reel, 16mm. film recently completed under the sponsorship of the Sharecropper Film Committee, New York City. Made to aid the Southern Tenant Farmers' Union, the production illustrates the agricultural despotism and destitution which have resulted in the formation of that group bargaining organization. Farms and families of Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi appear in this documentary record, which kept Mr. Hacker three months in the field. Lee R. Hays. an Arkansan, served him as liaison officer with the union and its supporters, while Gardner Jackson, of the film committee, contributed to the production's planning. Narrative comment and a musical background are scheduled additions to the pictured story, in preparation for screenings before school and civic groups interested in the success of the Southern Tenant Farmers' Union." - "Practical Films," Movie Makers, March 1937, 128.
"Among the Ten Best, Another Day, by Leslie Thatcher, ACL, is a splendid example of the relatively simple avant garde film, so popular among European amateurs but so seldom attempted by even the advanced workers of the American continent. Set against the background of Toronto, Another Day portrays in semi abstract fashion the dramatic changes which overtake the life and tempo of a great city as Saturday crosses the noontime deadline from work to play. Mr. Thatcher's conception of this theme is clean cut, his execution suave and technically brilliant. Dissolves, wipeoffs and double exposure are blended intelligently with matchless straight photography to enhance the beauty of striking angles and compositions. With the subject matter of such films ready to the hand of every amateur cameraman, it is a strange phenomenon that to date they are not attempted more often." Movie Makers, Dec. 1934, 513, 534.
"Frances Christeson and Harry Merrick have shown in their film, Architecture and Fine Arts, what can be done with the motion picture camera by sensitive, yet systematic, movie makers. Produced under the supervision of A. C. Weatherland, dean of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California, the picture shows students at work and gives glimpses of class room technique in teaching most of the fine arts. Although no section of the film is long or detailed enough to serve the purpose of teaching, the film, as a whole, gives a very clear and concise picture of the scope of the work of the architecture and fine arts college of the University of Southern California. Technically and cinematically, this record is superb; beautiful compositions, carefully selected and composed scenes, combined with titles of distinction, make it a truly outstanding production. Included in the picture, that is for the most part in black and white, are color sequences of stained glass windows." Movie Makers, Dec. 1936, 542.
"A two-part lecture travelogue film on the state of Arizona. The film would have been originally presented with live narration by the filmmaker, Robert Davis. Part one includes footage of desert landscapes, ranches, pre-historic artifacts, Native American art production & industry (wigs, textiles, etc), saloons, regional industry (logging, agricultural, and dams). Part two also includes footage of desert landscapes, cacti and dams as well as scenes from Phoenix and the surrounding area. Highlights from part two include a tour of a trailer park and footage of people skiing and sledding down a snowy hill." Chicago Film Archives.
"Un-staged documentary footage shot and edited by Sallie Wagner. Sallie's description of the film: 'Shorty Boys, Little Shorty building a hogan, Crip Chee and his hogan, grandson in doorway. Blackrock in front of hogan, Tchindi, Rose Martin doing laundry, cooking shelter at squaw dance, Hosteen Glish getting water, Bent Knee getting wood, Hosteen Glish making a canoe out of a log, Hosteen Glish's granddaughter weaving, digging yucca root for soap, Navajo washing her hair, Hosteen Glish making a cradle board'." New Mexico State Archives.
Total Pages: 18
Amateur Cinema